Amanda Gorman
When Poetry Becomes Activism
I see hope as a form of bravery. It’s the
most radical tool we have in activism.”
Amanda Gorman
A gifted young woman, an inspiring poet, an activist for social justice and equality, Amanda Gorman is both a changemaker and a beacon of light.
Raised with a twin sister in Los Angeles by their single mother who was a middle school teacher, Amanda Gorman learned the value of hard work and discipline. Faced with an auditory processing disorder and a speech impediment, Amanda found the written word to be a place of solace and expression. As early as age four, she began writing words with a purpose. Through the years, she overcame her speech impediment and went on to present poems with poise, grace and power. Practicing each speech aloud over 100 times before her delivery, she exemplifies a commitment to oratory excellence.
A cum laude graduate of Harvard University, Amanda Gorman became the first Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles in 2014. A daily journal writer who composes much of her work in the morning, she was chosen as the first National Youth Poet Laureate by Urban Word in 2017.
Ms.Gorman gained worldwide acclaim on January 20, 2021, when she brought light and hope to the world at President Biden’s inauguration. The youngest poet to speak at an inauguration, she galvanized her audience with her compelling, incandescent poetry. Addressing people who were exhausted from turmoil, Covid 19 and unrest, she shared hope: “We are not broken. We are unfinished.” To watch her presentation, go here:
Her poem typified her approach: to acknowledge trouble and injustice while maintaining optimism for the future of America. Her words in her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” reverberated throughout our nation and the world. Wearing a caged bird ring as a tribute to Dr. Maya Angelou, Ms. Gorman displayed the maturity and eloquence of a much older soul.
As Oprah Winfrey wrote of her poem in the introduction to Ms. Gorman’s book, The Hill We Climb, “ Where wisdom flows in cadences that sync with the thrum of our blood, the beat of our hearts…lighting the way with her words.
Amanda Gorman crafted her poem with great intentionality. As she told the NY Times, “What I really aspire to do in the poem is to be able to use my words to envision a way in which our country can still come together and can still heal.”
Amanda Gorman is much more than a poet laureate, she is a true social activist, advocating for voting rights, women’s rights, youth literacy and the environment. She champions the power of the written word and founded a non-profit called One Pen One Page. This organization aims to connect literacy with democracy, providing free creative writing workshops for under served youth. It teaches poetry as a form of social justice and activism. Ms. Gorman’s acts of service include working with the United Nations. She believes “Change isn’t made by watching history. Change is made by shaping it.”
After the visibility she received at President Biden’s inauguration, Ms. Gorman was approached to model and do commercials, but she lived in her integrity and declined. Instead, she has continued her activism through her beautifully crafted verses. She is the first poet to perform at a Super Bowl, where she honored front line workers in her poem “Chorus of the Captains.”
She has performed multiple commissioned poems on CBS This Morning, and spoken at the Library of Congress and Lincoln Center. She was featured on the cover of Vogue magazine and received a Genius Grant from OZY Media. Glamour Magazine honored her in the College Women of the Year awards. She has written for the NY Times and has three upcoming books from Penguin Random House. Ms. Gorman also serves as the youngest board member of 826 National, the largest youth writing network in the United States.
- Literacy for all
- Civil engagement
- Encouraging the voices of young people
- The power of the written word and hope
- Unity and healing of America
Lessons from Amanda Gorman’s Life:
Your challenges need not stop your success.
Ms. Gorman overcame her auditory processing disorder and speech impediment to become a powerful, eloquent speaker. Her determination and discipline are exemplary.
She feels that writers have a civic responsibility during times of unrest and change.
“I understand the idea of the poet as prophet. Our job is not just to reflect the world, but to shape it.”
She has an enduring belief in the power of hope, seeing it as active rather than passive.
“I see hope as a form of bravery. It’s the most radical tool we have in activism.”
Amanda Gorman is admired by all generations and she calls on all of us to act. “Justice is not just a concept to dream of. It is something we must write into reality, together.” “We are the change we’ve been waiting for. We are the past, the present, and the possibility.”
Action Steps You Can Take:
- It’s been said that the pen is mightier than the sword. Who in power can you write to about issues that concern you and your family?
- Consider keeping a daily journal like Amanda Gorman does. You never know what pearls of wisdom and insights may come forward.
- Where can you apply a heightened level of discipline to your life? A 1% change a day makes a huge difference.
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